Video conferencing enables participants located at different sites to simultaneously interact via two-way video and audio transmissions. A video conference can be as simple as a conversation between two participants located at different sites or involve discussions between many participants located at different sites and may include shared content such as a video presentation or slides. As high-speed network connectivity is becoming more widely available at lower cost and the cost of video capture and display technologies continues to decrease, video conferencing conducted over networks between participants in faraway places is becoming increasing popular.
Video-conferencing systems are typically designed to provide natural interactions between the participants. Desired attributes of these systems include a natural frontal view with correct eye contact and eye gaze and the ability to interact on a shared surface. However, video conferencing systems are typically engineered to communicate an approximation of eye contact when participants are facing the screen. As a result, each participant perceives that the other participants are looking at them all the time. This way of presenting the participants often leads to doubt as to whether or not participants are actually listening carefully to the discussion. For instance, a speaking participant may feel compelled to ask certain other participants for verbal confirmation that they are paying attention during the video conference, even if the participants appear to be looking directly at the speaking participant. In addition, participants are unable to determine where the other participants are focusing their attention, which makes it difficult for participants to follow the flow of the conversation. Thus, designers and users of video conference technologies continue to seek improvements to the video-conferencing experience.